FAB 3. An Early Look At Bucs’ 2018 Schedule

With two games left on the 2017 schedule Tampa Bay’s 2018 opponents are coming into focus. While the Bucs are destined to finish last in the NFC South division for a seventh time in the last nine years, it’s important to note that they won’t have a favorable last-place schedule.

Bucs MLB Kwon Alexander – Photo by: Mark Lomoglio/PR

The NFL did away with that years ago and went to a more structured model featuring the division opponents twice, one other NFC division, and one AFC division, in addition to two conference games against opponents that finished in the same place in their respective divisions. With the Bucs finishing fourth in the NFC South, next year’s NFL schedule calls for them to play the fourth place finisher in the NFC West division and the NFC North because Tampa Bay and the NFC South teams will play all four of the NFC East teams next year as well as the AFC North teams.

For the Bucs, that likely means playing the San Francisco 49ers at home and the Bears in Chicago. That means the Bucs and the Bears – old NFC Central foes – will play each other for the fourth year in a row. After losses at Chicago and Tampa Bay in 2014 and ’15, the Bucs have prevailed at home in each of the last two years.

Bucs’ 2018 Home Schedule
Philadelphia Eagles – 12-2
Washington Redskins – 6-8
Cleveland Browns – 0-12
Pittsburgh Steelers – 11-3
Atlanta Falcons – 9-5
Carolina Panthers – 10-4
New Orleans Saints – 10-4
San Francisco 49ers – 4-10*

Bucs’ 2018 Away Schedule
Dallas Cowboys – 8-6
New York Giants – 2-12
Baltimore Ravens – 8-6
Cincinnati Bengals – 5-9
Atlanta Falcons – 9-5
Carolina Panthers – 10-4
New Orleans Saints – 10-4
Chicago Bears – 4-10*

The 49ers aren’t a lock to be a Bucs’ opponent quite yet as they are 4-10 and trail the 6-8 Arizona Cardinals by two games. However, the Cardinals would have to lose both of their remaining games and the 49ers would have to be victorious in the last two weeks of the season for San Francisco to get out of the NFC West cellar. Here’s a look at the remaining schedule of both 49ers and Cardinals:

49ers – 4-10
49ers vs. Jaguars
49ers at Rams

Arizona 6-8
Giants at Cardinals
Cardinals at Seahawks

One of the takeaways from the 2018 schedule is that it currently features 10 foes with winning records. That could change if Dallas and Baltimore – both of which have 8-6 records – finish with two losses and wind up 8-8.

Half of the Bucs’ 2017 wins have come against the Bears and the Giants, and both are on the schedule for next year, in addition to the winless Browns and likely the 49ers. Of course Tampa Bay’s biggest challenge will come in the NFC South where the Bucs are currently winless.